2026 Annual Conference

Historic Francis Marion Hotel in Downtown Charleston 

October 29-31, 2026

"Revolutionize Your Teaching with SCCSS" 

Keep checking for updates, this conference will be... revolutionary! 

Click here Register as Attendee

Please register by October 9, 2026 to guarantee a t-shirt and wanted t-shirt size

Historic Francis Marion Hotel - Click here for the reservation link -         Online Code: SSC26 or call the hotel directly @ 1-877-756-2121 and reference SC Council for the Social Studies 

The hotel rate ends on September 29, 2026 

2026 Tentative Conference Overview 

Thursday, October 29, 2026

8:30-4:30 George Washington Teacher Institute: Washington, Charleston, and the 250th sponsored by the Mount Vernon's George Washington Teachers Institute 250 and Boeing at The Charleston Museum (6th-12th grade educators)

1:00-5:00 Revolutionizing the Elementary Classroom at the Francis Marion Hotel

5:00-7:00 Early Registration/Reception

Friday, October 30, 2026

7:30-8:30 Registration/Continental Breakfast

8:30-8:50 Opening Session- Ballrooms A and B

9:00-9:50 Concurrent Session 1

10:00-10:50 Concurrent Session 2

10:50-11:20 Vendor Break

11:20-12:10 Concurrent Session 3

12:20-1:40 Seated Lunch/Awards Program/ Keynote

1:45-2:35 Concurrent Session 4

2:35-3:00 Vendor Break

3:00-3:50 Concurrent Session 5

4:00- 4:50 Concurrent Session 6

Conference attendees will have the exciting opportunity to participate in a learning excursion during this year’s conference! As part of the registration process, attendees will select one of several unique excursions designed to explore South Carolina’s rich history and its role in the American Revolution.

Thanks to a generous grant from SC250, SCCSS is proud to provide educators with meaningful, hands-on opportunities to connect with the people, places, and stories that shaped our state and nation.

We are grateful to SC250 for making these enriching experiences possible!

Below are the learning excursion opportunities 

Friday, October 30th 

Space limited, so sign up early!  Charleston and the Revolution Walking tour- 5:30 pm; 45-minute tour: meet in the lobby of the Francis Marion Hotel.

Saturday, October 31, 2026

Friday, October 30th

Charleston and the Revolution Walking tour- 5:30 pm; 45-minute tour: meet in the lobby of the Francis Marion Hotel.

Saturday morning, October 31st 

• Palmetto Log Fort Exhibition- Town of Sullivan's Island 9:00-11:00 AM. Located on Sullivan’s Island, join a local historian to learn about this living-history exhibit that recreates a section of the palmetto-log fort defended by South Carolina Patriots during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island on June 28, 1776, when the fort’s spongy palmetto walls helped withstand a British naval attack and protect Charleston Harbor, making the victory one of the Revolution’s early American successes.

• St. Philips Church 9:00-11:00 AM. A central gathering place for Charleston’s Patriot community during the American Revolution, St. Philip’s was home to influential Patriots including Edward Rutledge, Christopher Gadsden, and Arthur Middleton, while its rector, Robert Smith, delivered powerful sermons supporting the American cause.

• Charleston Museum9:00 AM- This tour is limited to the first 90 participants. Founded in 1773 and known as America’s first museum, the Charleston Museum explores the rich natural and cultural history of Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry through extensive collections and exhibits.
  

• International African American Museum10:00 AM- This tour is limited to the first 90 participants. Located at the historically significant site of Gadsden’s Wharf, IAAM tells the powerful stories of Africans and African Americans and their enduring impact on Charleston, the Lowcountry, the nation, and the world.

• Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon 10:00-11:00 AM- This tour is limited to the first 40 participants. Built in 1771, this historic Charleston landmark highlights the city’s colonial and Revolutionary-era history, including the American Revolution, the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, and its troubling role in the domestic slave trade.
  

• Drayton Hall10:15 AM- This tour is limited to the first 25 participants. Built beginning in 1738, Drayton Hall is one of America’s finest examples of Palladian architecture and the oldest preserved plantation house in the country still open to the public, offering insight into both the Drayton family and the lives of the enslaved people who lived there.

SCCSS is incredibly grateful to have received a grant from SC250 in support of our work to connect South Carolina educators and students with the people, places, and stories that shaped our state and nation. We are deeply appreciative of SC250’s investment in education and its commitment to helping South Carolinians better understand and celebrate our shared history.

Curious about 2025? See Below! 

Click here for a list of the 2025 Conference Sessions 

Click here for the 2025 Conference Program